Knife and fork scourer.



W. D. HOLMES.

KNIFE AND FORK SCOURER. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 27, 1908. RENEWED APR. 12, 1909.

Patented Nov. 16.1909.

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W. D. HOLMES.

KNIFE AND FORK SGOURBR; QAPPLIOATION FILED MAR. 21', 1908. RENEWED APR. 12, 1909.

Patented Nov. 16. 909.

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FFTCE.

WILLIAM B. HOLMES, 6F NEVI BLOOMFIELD, PENNSYLVANIA.

KNIFE AND FGRK SCOURER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented NOV. 16, 1909.

Application filed March 27, 1908, Serial No. 423,618. Renewed April 12, 1909. Serial No. 489,527.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VILLIAM D. HoLMns, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Bloomfield, in the county of Perry,

State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Knife and Fork Scourers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to a new and useful household article to be used in cleaning, scouring and polishing knives and forks, and the invention embodies a supporting base upon which are two bifold spring held members made of abrading substances, so that a knife or fork may be inserted between these two spring held members which are interchangeably and adjustably secured, to scour or polish a knife or fork.

In the accompanying drawings, I have shown in Figure 1 a front View of a scourer embodying my invention adjusted to scour a knife. Fig. 2 is a side view. Fig. 3, a top view. Fig. 4, a bottom view. Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view. Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view through one of the abrading members, and Fig. 7 discloses a detached sectional detail of one of said abrading members.

The aim of my invention is, to provide a light, inexpensive, simply constructed de vice, by means of which certain articles, as knives and forks, may be cleaned or polished, which is accomplished in bringing them into frictional engagement with the abrading, or polishing surfaces of the two spring held members 5 and 6. These members are exactly similar in construction, and comprise a lower perforated securing stem 7 and are preferably made of some such material as scouring bricks and the like are made of. Each member comprises a body A, used for scouring purposes and has the rear fiat face 10, the two curved faces 11, 11, and the forward semi-circular edge 12, as clearly disclosed in Fig. 6. The body of these members is preferably made of some suitable abrading material while the forward cylindrical portion B is made of a finer material or substance so that the same may be used for polishing purposes.

At their upper ends each side curved face portion 11 has a projecting shoulder 15 as clearly indicated in Fig. 5 so that at their upper ends these abrading members 5 and 6 are held together at their shoulder portions. From these shoulder portions 15, the al'irading members 5 and 6 slope out-ward so that when two of said members are held together a V-shaped slit or opening is provided between them as shown at w facilitating the ready insertion of a fork tip or knife blade. At their bottom edges, the members 5 and 6 are held together in a spring pressed condition, as they are also at their upper ends. As shown in Fig. 2, these shoulders extend only part way around the abrading member, so that the opposite faces of the members touch one another. The openings 16 and 17, receiving the stem 21, are sufliciently large, so that the abrading members will tilt, when a knife blade, which is V-shaped in cross-section is introduced. Only articles having parallel faces could be polished or secured between these members 5 and 6 if they could not be tilted upon the supporting stem 21. This tilting feature of the abrading members makes the upper spring 35 a necessity.

The stems 7 of the abrading members are provided with two transversely positioned openings 16 and 17, extending at right angles to one another. Passing through the base 20 which has the two slots 22 is the stem 21. This stem is threaded at each end and provided with a nut 23 and a Washer 24: and removably held upon the stem and against the stems 7 are the coil springs 25 which exert an inward pressure insuring the abrading members being held in contact.

At its upper end each abrading member is provided with four sockets marked 26, 27, 28 and 29 within which sockets the hook ends 30 of the spring 32 are removably held. The coil springs 25 which hold the members together under spring tension at their lower ends work against the washers 24 extending through the openings 22 within the base 20. As has been explained the abrading members are shown in Figs. 3 and 5 as arranged for scouring purposes. Should it be desired to use the members for polishing purposes the springarms 32 would be carried out of the seatings 26, the nuts 23 would be removed permitting the stem 21 to be withdrawn when the abrading members are turned ninety degrees (90) to bring the two polishing edges B into juxtaposition.

In certain cases it is found desirable to bring the articles to be cleaned between two flat surfaces and when this is desired the members 5 and 6 are adjusted so that the two fiat surfaces 10 are brought into juxtaposition. From this it will be seen that the abrading members are adjustablyheld upon the threaded stem 21 and they may also be interchanged so as to bring the outer surfaces of the members into play.

Vhile I have described the members 5 and 6 as being made of a suitable abrading material, in which instance the members would be stamped, cast or molded, it should also be understood that these members 5 and 6 may be made of wood to which suitable emery and polishing cloths are cemented or otherwise secured as shown in Fig. 7. By means of the loop 35 forming a part of the spring 32 the device may be hung up, this spring further providing a handle whereby the device is carried. From this it will be seen that I provide a bifold abrading member interchangeably and adjustably held to a suitable base so that said members may be used for cleaning or polishing purposes.

And having thus described my said invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by U. S. Letters Patent is- 1. A scourer having in combination, a slotted base plate, a pin passing through said slot, two scouring members interchangeably and adjustably held upon said pin, and means to hold said scouring members together in a spring pressed condition.

2. The combination in a device of the character described, of a slotted base plate,

a pin passing through the slot of said base plate, two scouring members each having a perforated stem working within said slot and upon said pin, and means to hold said members together under spring pressed condition at their upper and lower ends.

3. The combination with a base plate, of two abrading members, of means to interchangeably and adjustably hold said members, and a spring extending from the upper end of said members.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

WM. D. HOLMES.

Witnesses J. M. GILLILAND, DANIEL BRINER. 

